Modern Alice
by 4-Evah-Anonymous
Summary: Alice is bored. Her life is too normal. But what if a visit to her grandpa's reveals that that's not the whole truth. Inspiration from my own experiences! :D I tried my very best with this! I own only the characters! Enjoy!
1. Welcome, Alice

This is how it always ended, this reocurring nightmare of mine.

I would fall. I would always fall. The strange thing is, that when I wake up and even while I'm falling, I have no idea what led to it.

I'm falling now. I take the chance to look around me for a few seconds. I can't see the ground or where i fell from but I seem to be falling down a vertical tunnel. The light was strange and full of mixed colors, as though picasso had painted lamplight. It takes me until now to notice that I'm screaming. Screaming as though I though someone could hear me. As though someone would save me from this certain death. But by now, I remember that no one is coming.

My screams, The freezing updraft from whatever was below me, The way my throat started to ache as my screams grew louder and more urgent, even the weird tingly cold feeling I get in my toes when I'm not wearing shoes.

I give one last final shriek and...

and...

And I wake up...

"Alice."

I shift in my sleep. The sound of my screaming fades and is replaced by my father's voice, the rumbling of our old beat-up truck and the voices on early morning AM talk radio.

"Alice, We're almost there. Time to get up."

I force my dark green eyes open halfway. I groan and stretch. I had been asleep for three hours at the least. I looked out the window. It couldn't be later than 6 AM, seeing as it was still a bit dark out. However, it was just light enough for me to see a green road sign that read 'Rio Vista City Limit.'

Rio Vista. It was a small town in northern California, right next to the Sacramento River. Nothing bad or particularly exciting ever happened in Rio Vista, which is probably the exact reason my Grandfather Allen Monrey chose to live there. _My _home is in New York City. A small apartment near times square is where my father and I had made our home since my mother left.

I was going to stay at my Grandpa's house for the week of spring break because my father had to go down to Florida for his sister's funeral. I didn't mind going to my Grandfather's much, other than the inevitable obstical of Marsha. Marsha was the woman that Allen had married after my real Grandmother had died. It's not that I hated her, it's just that she never let me do anything.

It was times like these, when my father was waving goodbye to me from the truck and I was standing infront of my Grandpa's painted red door, index finger hovering over the doorbell, that I really wish I was someone else. I wish that I was my best friend, Izzy Walker, down in Disney World with her parents and little sister. I wish I was my mother, Karrie, off in some distant country and without boredom most likely. I wish I was that woman in the casket down in Florida that my dad was going to see, just so long as I didn't have to be here.

I took a deep breath and pushed down on the door bell. I wasn't just going to stand there and wish because, I'm _not_ Izzy. I'm _not_ my mother. I'm _not_ my aunt. I am Alice Elizabella Monrey. I am a 15 year old girl. And I am watching my Grandfather pull open the door.

"Alice! So good to see you!"

He hugged me tight, almost making me drop my suitcase. Allen was a big man, meaning in this case, both tall (about 6'2") and wide (He had a sort of a beer belly). Needless to say, being hugged by him was...a winding experience.

He led me inside and I glanced around. It was a big, two story house with lots of windows, white walls, and blue carpet. My grandpa's big white husky, Koda, trotted up to me and licked my hand. I pet him on the head lovingly. Koda was a big dog, but there wasn't a sweeter dog on this earth.

"Your room's up the stairs and to the right." Grandpa told me, patting my head and ruffling my short brown hair. I nodded and carried my case up the stairs. Koda trotted after me. I turned the hall and peeked into the room I had been directed to. There was a queen-size bed in the middle of the room and an old television on the dresser. The big window was covered by billowy lace curtains and the walls were a pale baby blue. I set my bag on the floor next to the bed and sat down.

I looked down at myself. I was wearing the same clothes I had the day before. A white top with a black bandaged heart, partialy covered by a black unzipped jacket that was tree sizes too big for me. I also wore denim shorts and long black and white striped stockings under black, scoffed up combat boots.

I sighed as i removed the large bulky shoes and set to exploring the upper story. I found two studies, one bathroom and the master bedroom. I had looked into all but the bedroom and noticed nothing out of the ordinary...accept for the fact that there were no mirrors. Anywhere.

As I look over to the master bedroom, my curiosity began to take hold of my reason and beat it to a bloddy pulp. I inched over to the door and opened it. I sighed in relief, seeing no living thing in the room other than Marsha's calico cat, Honey. I explored a bit of the room before hearing Honey meow at the master bathroom door. I opened it for her and looked inside. Still no mirrors but there was a very odd looking door at the end of the room. I became entranced by it and moved closer, step by step, inch by inch.

"..._Alice..._"

I could have sworn I heard my name, called but still whispered. Soft but urgent. I lifted my hand and my fingers twitched as I reached out for the gold doorknob.

"_...Aliiice..._"

My fingers brushed the cold metal.

"Alice!"

My grandfather's shout from downstairs made me jump almost a foot in the air.

"Time for dinner!"


	2. Mirrors, Skirts, and a White Rabbit

**Chapter two here we go!**

**I own nothing! Enjoy! PLEASE REVIEW!**

Dinner was...well, to tell you the truth, I don't really know what dinner was. My attention was entirely focused on the door in my grandfather's room. I _had _to know what was behind it. So while I was picking at the ham on my plate with my fork, I was thinking up when and how I could sneak into that room.

I could always just go now. Tell them I have to use the bathroom and sneek in there. But what if whatever's in there takes time to find? No...I'll have to go in during the night some time. But I'll have to be very quiet...

My thought process was sharply interrupted by the clock chiming 9 O'clock. I stood up and picked up my plate which I proceeded to rinse off in the sink. I climb the stairs to my room and smile to myself.

After I toke my shower, I hopped onto my bed and lay on my stomach. I pulled out a large book entitled 'the Barbed Coil' and flipped to my marked page. I had to waste some time until my grandparents were asleep.

At about a quarter to ten I slipped out of my room as quiet as could be. I had left my white bunny slippers in my room and went along barefoot to avoid making to much noise. I held my light blue nightgown tight around my legs to keep the swishing skirt from bumping anything. I opened the door to Allen and Marsha's room carefully and flinched as it creaked a bit. I shut my eyes tight. My heart was beating right out of my chest. I slipped along the wall, all the while watching my grandparents' sleeping silhouettes. I reached the bathroom and crept towards the door.

"_Alice..._"

I heard the voice again but this time I didn't go slowly. I grabbed the handle and opened the door. It swung inwards. I went into the room. It was small, like a secret annex of sorts, but it was well lit by moonlight streaming from the small window on the wall. The only thing in the room was a large horizontal rectangular shape covered by a white sheet. I walked over slowly and lifted the vale. It fell away and all I saw was myself.

It was a mirror. A large rectangular mirror. I smiled slightly. "That's all...?"

"_Not quite._" I gasped in terror as my reflection was replaced by that of a boy. He was about 2 years older than me with long white hair tied in two low pony tails that floated around him gracefully to the point where it looked like he was floating on the surface of water. His eyes were large and ruby red and shielded by rectangular black framed glasses. Two long white rabbit ears poked out of the top of his head.

Then, something I never thought possible happened. The rabbit-boy reached through the mirror's glass and grabbed hold of my arm. I was so shocked that I couldn't react until he had pulled me right _through _the glass. Not through. More like _into_.

I shut my eyes and looked down. I gasped as I was met with a familiar vertical tunnel full of colors and seemingly no end. It took me a few moments to realize I had started falling. I began to panic. This was my dream.

I began to scream.

The rabbit-boy frowned. "Why the shock? Don't you know where you are, Alice?"

I held in my screaming as my fall began to slow. "H-how do you know my name? Who are you?"

He gave me a slight smile. "All in good time, Dear Alice." He blushed a little then and looked away. "Erm...Your skirt..."

My eyes widened and my face turned red. That's why my fall slowed. My skirt had puffed up like a parachute. 'Well.' I thought. 'It's either embarrassment or falling to my death.'

"It's fine. Forget it."

He nodded but still wouldn't look at me. "I'm Theodore. Theo for short."

Theodore... I knew that name from somewhere. That's right! Theodore was the name of my stuffed rabbit I had when I was 4. My mother had named him. I smiled slightly feeling a sense of trust towards Theo.

"You still haven't told me where we are." I pointed out.

"This is one of the passages to Wonderland. A passage to a world made just for you, Alice."

My eyes widened and I looked over at him in shock. "A world...for me...?"

He laughed and took my hand. "All in good time, Dear Alice. Patience is a virtue."

We began spiraling down towards either a world of my own or the end of a very strange dream.


	3. Quinn, The crazy cheshire kitty!

**part three. Sorry it took so long, Whoever reads this. I was actually visiting my place of inspiration! That's right, I went to my grandpa's house! The same place with the mysterious door! Which really exists, though it's locked. I spwned this while coming up with what might be behind it.**

**Alice Monrey, Theo and Quinn are mine**

**Wonderland is not**

**Enjoy, loves! And please review!**

As my toes touched ground lightly, my first thought was that this wasn't a dream. That I had, in fact, been pulled through a mirror by a man with rabbit ears into a 'world just for me'. My reason screamed against it. It screamed that this was absurd, impossible, and irrational. But my heart seemed to want to strangle my reason. It decided for me that this was true. That I had a world of my own. That I may have just made a friend in Theo. Or possibly I was in the most trouble of my life. Either way it was far more exciting than sitting in my room at my grandfather's house.

I opened my eyes seconds after I felt steady ground beneath my feet. I was shocked for certain by what I saw. At first, my vision was blotched by darkness which seemed to move like something living. As quickly as it was there it was gone and my brain could hardly process it all. It was night that much was obvious, but there was something different about the night. The stars seemed so much closer and as I turned my head to look around, I could have sworn that I saw a second moon peeking above stunningly red leaves of the pale-barked trees. I reached out to one of the stars and actually closed my hand around it. I held it gently and opened my hand a second later.

Instead of what I expected to be holding, which I wasn't sure what that was exactly, I was cradling a fairy-like creature. It was tiny and was more firefly than anything but it carried humanistic features as well. I blinked, shocked. Theo took the little bug-fairy from my hand and blew into its wings lightly, making it float up and float suspended in the air.

"They're called Allieia." He explained. "They aren't stars, even though they look like it. They're all asleep. When they sleep, their wings glow, giving off one of the only sources of light along this path."

He went over to a path and tapped his fingers on large blue heart-shaped flowers that lined the path. They lit up. Their light was very pretty but too dim to see much of anything. "Come along, Alice. Or has the grass taken a liking to you?"

I looked down at my bare feet. Blue grass was slowly creeping up and curling around my toes. I smiled lightly and stepped onto the dusty red path, stretching on and on and eventually fading away into the darkness. Theo and I began to walk along the path. After a few minutes, I saw Theo's ears twitch slightly. His crimson eyes narrowed, skeptically.

"There is someone in the trees." He whispered into my ear. "And I have a sneaking suspicion of who it might be…"

I looked around into the branches shakily. I couldn't tell why, but I suddenly felt almost franticly afraid. I was always and probably always will be quite a bit paranoid. But, now, that I was actually being watched, it instilled more fear in the pit of my stomach than any of my suspicions ever could. Suddenly, something sent a violent shiver down my spine. Chilling laughter echoed through the trees. The sound seemed to carry a tune of sorts. Like some demented children's song.

"Quinn! I know that's you, now stop hiding! You're going to frighten Alice!"

A face, well, hardly even that, simply a large inhuman grin with ridiculously sharp teeth and two large amber eyes with slits for pupils, materialized from within the shadow of the branches in a particularly large tree. I gasped in shock.

"Frighten her?!" The face laughed at Theo's angry expression. "Then I should consider myself to have a talent! It is not easy to frighten the brave, now is it?"

"Stop your bullshit." I growled.

The face slowly became a person as it laughed raucously in my face. I registered long black hair, with many bright pink streaks in it, fall into a pale face with markings like stitches on the cheek-bones. The large amber eyes slowly turned a more purple-blue color. Two black cat ears poked from the top of his head and a matching tail swished behind him. I heard the faint jingle of a bell and saw that there was a silver skull-shaped bell tied around his tail with red ribbon.

"Keep your temper, little lady." He purred teasingly. "Remember, you need your head to survive. That and it would be such a shame for you to lose that pretty little head of yours."

"Don't call me 'little lady'. You're no more than two years my senior." I snapped with what my father often called 'unexpected authority'. "Who are you, anyway?"

He grinned big. "I am Quinn DeMuse." He held out his hand to shake.

I glanced at Theo, wondering what to do. Theo didn't seem to trust this Quinn guy too much and, honestly, neither did I. But I couldn't just trust Theo right off the bat. Theo shook his head at my, gesturing for me to not even touch the outstretched hand.

I frowned and didn't heed his warning. I reached out and grasped Quinn's hand and shook it firmly. "Alice Monrey."

He grinned. "Oh, of course! You're Alice! I'm shocked I couldn't tell from the resemblance."

"Resemblance…?" I asked genuinely confused.

"I would tell you, but bunny-man over there would hit me, or pull my tail or something. And honestly, that's something I would like to avoid, M'kay, Doll?"

I scowled at the pet name but just as I was about to speak, Quinn leaned forward and whispered in my ear. "If you come with me, I'll take you to see someone who can tell you. We can even take your pet." He smirked at Theo, who, I could tell was grinding his teeth.

I thought a moment but nodded. "I'll go. What about you, Theo? Will you come with me?" I gave him my best pleading look.

Theo frowned but nodded, reluctantly. "Alright, alright."

Quinn clapped his hands excitedly. "Caloo, Callay, and we go away." He rhymed. He led us both away, off the path and into the dark forest.


	4. Vincent, cards, and childhood memories

**WOOT! 2 chapters in the same day! UH OH! SHITS GOIN' DOWN!**

**alright poll time. Should I add romance? If so with who? And just so ya know there will be a mad hatter in the future. **

**Alice Monrey, Theo, Quinn, Vincent, and the ace of hearts (AKA mah daddy) are mine.**

**Wonderland is not.**

When Quinn said, 'we go away,' he sure as hell meant _**away**_**.** We had been walking for what felt like hours, but it was still pitch black outside. I would've killed for shoes right then. It's not that I mind walking around barefoot for hours in the cold, it's just that…No, I mind walking around barefoot for hours in the cold. Just as soon as I began to grumble to myself, Quinn came to a halt. He turned sharply and knocked three times on a tree trunk. I frowned, wondering if Quinn had just gone off the deep (-er) end.

I defiantly wasn't expecting the trunk to open up like a door and a voice to call, "Intrude!" sharply. Quinn led me inside and Theo followed me almost protectively. I looked around. It was a huge inside. Not what you'd expect from a tree. There were chandeliers, stairs, fancy furniture, and even a piano. What caught my attention, however, was a young, pale, man sitting on the couch, facing them and smoking a hookah. He had green hair, pulled back in a long braid, and narrowed purple eyes. He blew a smoke ring in my direction while saying, "You have brought the girl here, rabbit. Why?" With the last syllable, a smokey letter 'Y' slipped past his lips. I coughed.

Theo frowned and waved the smoke away. "I brought her because we need her, Vincent." He growled.

The man called Vincent nonchalantly puffed another smoke ring. "But what if she can't do it, hmmm?"

I scowled, coughing as smoke was blown into my face once again. "Can't do what? Need me for what?! I swear I'm not going to be doing _**anything**_ unless you give me reason!" I put my hands on my hips.

Vincent stood up and stomped over to me. I thought he was going to yell at me and hit me with his hookah or something.

But, he did nothing of the sort. He just looked me dead in the face and said, "Whether _**you **_know or not, this _**will**_ be done. It is _**fate**_, unavoidable."

He closed his eyes and breathed smoke right into my face with a, "However," I coughed and fell back a few feet. My eyes watered and I waved away the smoke.

"However," He continued. "I will tell you what you must do. Come with me." He turned and began walking up a large grand staircase. I gave one glance back at Theo and Quinn before following behind Vincent.

He led me down a hall and into a large octagonal room with walls made of mirrors. He sat down on the ground and I sat in front of him. He cleared his throat and looked me in the eye. "You must de-throne the Queen of Hearts. She is an awful tyrant, but not on her own. She used to be a kind and gentle ruler. But there is something that has changed that. She has taken a liking to removing heads,"

"She had vanished about 17 years ago and didn't return for another 7 years. When she did return however, she was dark and more sinister than she ever had been before. The first person she executed was the king. Poor man. They weren't married. He was king only by title. After she had him beheaded, she became ridiculously paranoid. She would order the death of any who even remotely disagree. Wonderland was falling to ruin but now, now that we've finally found you and brought you here, Alice, you can save our world." He stood up and went to a small box. He opened it and pulled out a large dusty tome. He set the book in front of me and sat across from me. He held a hand over it and the book immediately flipped to a random page. The page was blank. Vincent took my hand and placed it on the page. The minute my skin touched the paper, words began scrawling themselves across the frayed pages.

'_Nine years past the return of the Queen a young girl of the upper-side, enticed by her curiosity, will step through the mirror and fall to our world with the white rabbit. The girl is called Alice and her purpose is to save wonderland, where as she is the purpose of wonderland. She will meet many before her time to face the queen comes. Many will follow her, all will teach her, and one will betray her. This betrayal will tear her apart but she will arise victorious. Whether or not she forgives this traitor or not is her decision, it is yet to be made, but will affect the outcome. For, this Alice shall take the place of the queen of hearts. This Alice shall either rule with a kind heart or an iron fist. It is her right. It is her destiny, for Alice…'_

"Is the daughter of the queen of hearts." Vincent finished.

My heart nearly stopped. _My mother…Is here…? She's __**from**__ here…?! That's impossible…but…_

"When I was little…My mother would tell me stories…about smoking caterpillars and…talking card soldiers and grinning cats…" I whispered. "They weren't stories…They were accounts…She named my stuffed rabbit Theo… And we called our cat Quinn…"

"That's right."

Vincent and I both turned towards the door quickly. The speaker was a tall, blond man with blue-gray eyes and stubble on his chin. He wore an odd looking uniform, the front of which looked like the face of a card. The Ace of Hearts to be exact.

All words but one caught in my throat. "…D-dad…?"

"You were never supposed to come here, Alice. You weren't supposed to know. I went through so many measures to ensure you never found out. I packed all the things that may remind you of the stories, I told you that your mother had left me, I even got your grandfather to take down all the mirrors, but apparently he missed one. That or we just didn't take your insufferable curiosity into account." I stared at my father as he spoke so harshly to me. I bit my lip as it started to quiver. "No matter," He continued. "Mommy dearest has yet to find out you're here…And I'd rather kill you before she finds out."

A large spear appeared in his hand and he pointed it right at my throat.


	5. HOLAY CRAP, FLUFF!

**OOOOOOOOOHHHH I'm supah dupah excited for this chappie. **

My eyes watered and I closed them tight, waiting for death to come. But it never did. I opened my eyes and gasped. Quinn had jumped onto my father's back and the two were now thrashing about wildly on the ground, fighting for control of the spear. Vincent grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the room. "Don't just stand there, stupid girl!" He pulled me down the hall. Things were barely registering in my mind. I was dizzy and my eyes couldn't seem to focus on anything. Doors flew past on both sides and I could feel my legs strain to even remotely keep up with the speed at which Vincent was running.

We turned down the main hall and Vincent growled. "Curse this advanced architecture!" There was another man dressed like a card around the corner. He came charging at me and stabbed. He narrowly missed, slicing open my shoulder. My eyes widened and I fell to my knees. It hurt worse than anything I had ever felt. I have been cut and tossed around and beat up but this…_burned!_ Like acid! My vision faded but I heard Vincent swear loudly. He flicked his wrists and the almost condensed hookah smoke that seemed to swirl around him shot towards the card-man and jammed itself down his throat, clogging the airway.

I felt my body being lifted over a strong shoulder. "Don't worry, Alice. We'll keep you safe." It was Theo's voice. There was a crash from down the hall and Quinn joined the party. He was laughing wildly and I heard Vincent sigh in annoyance. "Are there any more, Theodore?!?!" Quinn rhymed excitedly. "No." Theo growled. "I took care of them all." I heard Quinn give an unhappy mew and then slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Drink."

My eyes opened to Vincent sitting in front of me, holding a bottle to my lips.

"Drink." He ordered again. "It nulls the poison."

I did as I was told but spluttered after I tasted the bitter concoction. "Wh-what is that?!" I asked frantically.

"You don't need to know." He smirked and put the bottle away. I looked around. Theo and Quinn were sitting beside a fire. It burned black with sparks of cobalt blue. Quinn's face was splattered with blood but Theo seemed untouched despite the fact that he said he had disposed of the remaining cards. My eyes settled on the blood again.

"Quinn…d-did you…did you kill him…? The ace of hearts…?"

Quinn looked up, grinning psychotically. "Yes. I did."

My eyes widened and pure rage and sorrow took hold of my heart. "DAMN YOU! HE WAS MY FATHER!" I lashed out at him and my fist connected with his jaw. He yelped in shock, though I know I probably hadn't hurt him much. "He was…my father…my father…." Tears dripped from my eyes fast and uncontrollable tears.

Quinn bit his lip and chewed on his tail nervously. "I-I'm sorry….I…I didn't know…I'm sorry." I shook my head and reached out to him. He recoiled slightly but recovered enough to let me touch where I had hit him lightly. "I'm sorry too… I shouldn't have hit you for that… he was trying to kill me after all… so I guess he just doesn't love me like I thought he used to…"

"He was a fool not to love you, Princess." Theo's voice was little above a whisper but I caught it.

I decided to let it go and turned towards the fire. I smiled in spite of myself when all I really wanted to do was break down and cry. I had to be strong if I was to bring peace to this world. To bring peace to my friends. I reached out, grabbing Theo and Quinn by the arms and pulled them into a double-hug. "Get over here, Vincent." I told him. Vincent shook his head. "Not on your life."

"Vincent. Get your ass over here." I repeated.

He sighed and walked over. He hugged me for a split second then moved to the other side of the fire. "Now go to bed. We need to make an early start in the morning." He leaned against a tree and unbraided his hair. I noticed that it was ridiculously long for a boy's hair. Well, it would be if this were the normal world. It fell to his hips. I had always wanted hair like that, but mine was far too curly to grow out that long.

I sighed and closed my eyes leaning against a tree of my own. Quinn lay down, head on my lap, and fell asleep instantly. I giggled quietly and played with his ears. Theo smiled. "Consider yourself honored, Princess. In all these years, I have never seen Quinn apologize to anyone. He must have taken a liking to you."

I smiled over at him. He was leaning up against the same tree I was. He had taken his glasses off. "Princess-"

"Please, Theo, call me Alice. I'm your friend, not your ruler."

"Then…Alice…?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes?" I tilted my head to the side. I wondered what had made him so nervous.

"Do you…hate me…? For bringing you here? I ruined your life by revealing all of these secrets…"

I blinked. My heart broke a little as he gave me the saddest look I had ever seen. His ears were drooping and his eyes were large and teary. I wanted to tell him it was ok but what I said was, "I wouldn't want my life ruined any other way." I leaned over and pressed my lips to his cheek lightly.

"Good night, Theo." I said with a smile. I could tell that I had made him blush. I closed my eyes and slowly drifted off.

Theo poured water on the fire to put it out. "Good night… Princess."

**Tah dah!!!~~ The first FLUFFY CHAPTER of...Well, to tell you the truth not many. But I will be making seperate short stories for the pairings I come up with and trust me. THEN THERE SHALL BE FLUFF.**


	6. Of Mad Hatters and March Hares

I woke up the next morning to find Quinn shaking me awake. "C'mon, get up, Alice. Vinny says we gotta hurry." I glanced around forest looked a lot different by day than by night. The leaves seemed more pink than red now and the blue grass had sprouted millions of tiny white flowers. I had very little time to enjoy the sight. Quinn grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. Vincent and Theo were talking a ways away. Neither of them looked happy with the other but they seemed to come to an agreement. They went back over to Quinn and I. "Come along." Vincent said calmly. Theo, on the other hand, did not sound happy or calm at all. In fact his voice came out more as a growl than anything. "We're going to see Sven." He told Quinn, who made a face of distaste. I looked confused. "Who?" Vincent rolled his eyes, seeming annoyed that he had to explain something to me again. "Sven Hatter. He has a history of being..." He glanced at Quinn and Theo. "Untrustworthy. But we need his help if we're going to get into the castle of hearts. He's been a double agent,going back and forth from the Queen of Hearts and the Uprising." "Uprising?" I asked. Theo nodded. "Namely, Us and all except the Queen and her card guards." I simply nodded. "Well, now that we've had or blocks of exposition, let's be on our way." Vincent stated coldly, turning on his heel, and walking away. Quinn followed him, looking very grumpy. I gasped in surprise as Theo picked me up bridal style. "Th-Theo! You don't have to carry me!" I looked up at him. "I do, in fact, have to carry you. You can't step on the mome raths." He looked down at the white 'flowers'. I followed his gaze to find that they weren't flowers at all but little creatures running in circles. I could make out many rows of teeth on all of them. They were swarming like sharks in a feeding frenzy, but parted easily as the three wonderlanders walked towards them. The three walked through them and I looked down at the mome raths. They looked back up at me hungrily with black beady little eyes. I shuddered.

___________

We hadn't gone fare when we reached a table in the middle of what looked like a flower garden only each and every petal of each and every flower was pitch black. There were two young children sitting back to back on the table, both so still that they looked like statues. They were twins, both male, both around 10 years old. Their hair was black and a dark contrast to their skin which was almost sickly pale. They wore the same clothes exactly, right down to the missing button on their shirt collars. Their clothes consisted of black, slightly ragged, pinstripe suits with sleeves that were a bit too long for their arms, black, scoffed up combat boots that reminded me of the pair I had back at my grandfather's house, and matching black fedoras. The only differences between the two bows were the color of their ties, and how they styled their hair. The one that wore blue wore his long hair in a ponytail and the one that wore red had his messy and free, letting it fall to the small of his back. I looked at them interestedly. "Who are they...?" "They're the Tweedles. Dee and Dum." I jumped and looked over at the head of the table. There sat a man who definitely hadn't been there before. He had blond hair that was choppy and fell to his shoulders. He wore an eye patch over his left eye and the other was sharp and bright green. He was smirking at me devilishly like he was analyzing me. He dressed very sharp and sophisticated in a white suit, black tie, and a large black top hat with a card stuck in the brim, reading '10/6'. "I am Sven. Sven Hatter. Welcome to my tea party, Alice."  
"H-hello..." I stammered nervously in reply. Sven stood up and took long theatrical strides over to me, grabbing me by the chin and looking over my face. "Ah yes, you certainly do look like her...The same sharp cruel beauty. Even this funny little sprinkle of freakles over your nose." "Ooooooh~!" A childish voice echoed from one of the twins. The one in red.  
"Looks like hatter found himself a little crush, hm?" The blue one said right after. Sven's eyebrow twitched a little in anger. "You two..." His hand went to his side where there was a long fancy sabre of a sword at his hip.  
"Oi!" An angry shout chorused from the other end of the table. I looked over and was a bit surprised. The speaker, a woman of about 17, was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. Why Sven was looking at me whe he had her was a mystery. Her hair was long, wavey, and dark chestnut brown. Her eyes, clear and blue, where currently half lidded making her look rather unimpressed with anything. There were two, long, soft-looking black rabbit ears poking out of her head. She dressed a little like the super goth corsety skirty section of Hot Topic had thrown up on her but in a good way. I realized something then. There was no one I had ever seen that I idolized more than and no one I would ever meet who I would respect more than this woman. "You two." She said to the twins, surprisingly calm after her previous outburst. "Off my table." They did as they were told and saluted her. "Hatter. Give the girl room to breath." She frowned at Sven who was still looming over me. He backed off and smiled slyly at the woman. "Etta. How good of you to join us." I tilted my head. Quinn chuckled and floated up behind the woman. "Alice, This is Henrietta March. Simply the most devistatingly beautiful creature wonderland has to offer." He trailed a finger lightly down the side of her face and she smacked him away. "Hands off, Cat." She said in a thick Romainian accent. "Or else I'll castrate you in your sleep. Got it?" "Duely noted." Quinn pulled back as if she had turned into a venemous snake. The twins giggled loudly. It seamed that they thououghly enjoyed Etta's violent nature.  
"Well. Now that we've all gotten aquainted shall we move this little meet and greet inside?" Sven asked Vincent coldly while clearing his throat.  
"Yes. Thank you." Vincent replied just as coldly.  
Soon we were all heading inside. Vincent was as quiet as if he were walking in a funeral procession. However, Sven chattered on as if nothing had happened. I sighed, feeling that this would somehow end very badly.

**Phew. I think I'm going to enjoy writing for the twins and Etta the most.**


	7. Not a mouse A DORMOUSE!

**Dear readers. There is a poll on my page. vote in it and i'll give you a virtual cookie. Anyway here ya go, chapter 7. Is it odd to use baby name books to decide what to name some characters...?**

The moment I entered the huge (yet admittedly decaying) mansion of a house, I was completely overwhelmed by the smell of tea, mercury and incense. It wasn't pleasant but not nauseating or as bad as Vincent's hookah smoke. The wallpaper was grayed and peeling beyond recognition and the floors were creaky, dusty and wooden with rugs that were also gray. In fact the only color in the entire area I could see, as we were walking down a long hall with only one door at the end, were dozens of bouquets of blue and white roses held by cracked jade teapots used as their vases. These sat atop cracked tables that looked like chess boards.

Sven led us all to that last door, knocked on it once sharply then tapped it lightly with his index finger. The wall to the left swung to the side like a door.

"Erm...What's behind the other door...?" I asked hesitantly.

"A brick wall." Tweedle Dum replied cheerily. When I looked thoroughly confused, his brother elaborated in a similar happy, childish voice, "Hatter built this place like a labyrinth." They broke into laughter.

"Your lucky, Miss Alice, to have Hatter himself as a guide. If not, you'd have a very great chance of being eaten by several things that have made their homes in these corridors." Etta said from beside me. She lit a lantern that hung from one of the mossy stone walls that lined the narrow, dark hall that the wall had concealed. What we were facing was many stairs leading down into blackness.

As we begun our decent, and began leaving the safe light of the single lantern behind, Theo grabbed my hand and pulled me off of a step as soon as it crumbled. "Watch your step, Princess."

"Hmm...Yes, can't have you breaking your neck before your coronation." Sven called back to me.

Vincent growled in response. "Just what the hell is the point of this tunnel, Hatter?"

Sven spoke with a childishly (tauntingly) sad note to his voice. "Oh please, like the tree you live in is any less confusing. Or then again, you cant exactly go back now. The cards have probably burned it to the ground."

I could feel Vincent clench his fists beside me. It seemed to take every bit of his will power not to grab Sven by the hair and smash his face into the stone. As we walked, things began to glow within the walls. They seemed to be mushrooms. Millions of glowing mushrooms.

"What? They're just mushrooms. It means we're getting close to the exit." Quinn grinned.

Sven raised an eyebrow. "And just how do you know that, Cat?"

Quinn laughed and held up one finger. "One. Common sense. You wouldn't want stairs leading up that no one could see. Two." He held up another finger. "You honestly think I haven't been down here my share of times? I can go anywhere I want whenever I want."

We soon came to a set of stairs and the conversation ceased. Strangely, the assent didn't match the decline so, I figured we were on a lower floor. When the door at the top opened, my eyes were flooded by sunlight, a horrible contrast to the dark we had all just experienced.

"Why did we have to go under the house for this?" Theo snapped, shielding his eyes.

"Because." said a quiet and rather timid voice from the corner. "There is only one way in. But multiple ways out."

"Ah, I thought you'd be here, Amory." Sven grinned. I glanced at the corner where the voice had floated. The speaker was a small boy who looked around the same age as me. His hair was a soft sandy color. It was slightly curly and barely swept his shoulders. His bangs were so long that they completely covered his eyes. Etta rolled her eyes and brushed the hair away from his face. "Wake up. Your future queen is here."

The boy seemed to nearly jump out of his skin. His eyes opened wide. They were large and emerald green. He looked at me frantically and his head twitched to the side. That's when I noticed he had two sandy brown mouse-like ears poking out of his head and a long fluffy tail swishing behind him. The twins got behind him and pushed him towards me. He gasped and stumbled a little. He bowed his head a little. "I-I'm Amory Vance, M-my lady..."

"Please...You don't have to bow to me." I held out my hand. "I'm Alice Monrey."

He seemed to be having an minor heart attack as he shook my hand almost roboticly. "P-pleased to meet you...GAH!!!!! CAT!!!!!" He lept back in horror and alarm as he caught sight of Quinn. In the process of this he knocked a lamp to the floor with a crash. Every one's eyes widened simultaneously except Quinn's. He simply laughed a little at the chaos he had caused without even trying. Dee and Dum grabbed Amory by the wrists. They seemed exceedingly strong for children but the little mouse-boy thrashed with all his might. When he ended up kicking Dum in the jaw, all while screaming "CAT! CAT! IT'S A CAT!!!!!!", Etta saw it time to step in. She pinned the frantic boy to the ground and uncorked a bottle, pouring the contents down his throat. Almost immediately a peaceful expression crossed his face. He sat up calmly. Etta put the bottle away.

"What was that you gave him?" I asked her.

She grinned at me and replied, "A mix of honey, lemon and chamomile."

I went over to Amory and smiled. "So tell me. Are you a mouse?"

"A dormouse, My lady..." His eyes showed a distant and relaxed expression. I smiled a little realizing that he was down for the count. I patted his head and he looked up at me with the most heartbreakingly adorable look of confusion. My eyes widened and my heart throbbed a little. I hugged him for a second and when I began to let go he slumped against me. I blinked and shook him a little but he had completely passed out. I smiled sadly.

"Alright...So down to business, then?" Sven clapped his hands. "Excellent..."


	8. the Plan!

After Sven's announcement a few things had to happen before we could proceed to business itself. One: the passage we entered through had to be closed and locked. Two: Dee and Dum needed to sweep the broken glass from the lamp Amory had knocked over away. Three: I needed help moving Amory from my lap and to the couch in the corner of the room. All these things were done in pretty quick succession and soon we were all seated in a circle on the floor, because Amory took up the small couch and Sven obviously just decided not to put chairs in.

Vincent was still dead set in glaring at Sven for the rest of the day, Sven took absolutely no notice except for when he shot Vincent a cruel smirk now and then, Theo was complaining that I shouldn't have to sit on the floor(though I usually prefer the floor to a couch or bed), Etta was telling him to "shut the hell up and stop babying me" and honestly I couldn't agree more, The twins were arguing about which one of them was Dum and which on was Dee. I think they knew, they just wanted to be part of the commotion. The only one conscious that wasn't causing a fuss somehow was surprisingly Quinn. He was actually focusing his large blue eyes on my face…and I felt extremely uncomfortable.

"Erm…Quinn…?"

He tilted his head, not blinking. "Yes….?"

"Why are you staring at me…?"

He grinned big. "Oh I'm just waiting for everyone to shut up and get to business so I stare at pretty things to pass the time!"

I blinked and looked around blushing and praying that someone would speak up on the subject. Vincent glanced over and took the hint. "Hey! Everybody! Shut the hell up!"

They did as they were told and looked at Vincent expectantly. "Alright." He rummaged through a large bag that I wasn't sure he had when we came in. He retrieved an old map and spread it out on the floor. It looked like a blue print of sorts. "This is a copy of the layout of the castle of hearts. It has every entrance. Every exit. Every door way in the entire place." Sven scowled. "How on earth do you have this, Worm."

Vincent glared sharply. "You don't need to know, Fucker."

Sven raised his hands in defense. "fine, fine!"

"_As I was saying!_ We're going to use this to plan out our entrance, emergency escapes and paths to the throne room. I mean safe routes. We _are not _going to risk getting Alice killed unless we all want to be beheaded for treason _and _condemn all of wonderland to live a life in fear under _her_ rule! I say that we should split into two groups. One to concentrate on fending off cards and the other to get Alice to the crown at any cost. Once that group enters the throne room, everyone but Alice must remain at the door. Alice must face the Queen of Hearts alone. We could enter from the back which may give us the advantage. Then we could split up from there and as Alice's group moves along the other group can clear…obstacles."

I looked at the map interestedly. I noticed a small square marked rose passage out in the garden. It had a line connecting it to a room just beside the library. The room was unmarked. "Hey…This kinda reminds me of the tunnel we had to go through to get here."

"Why shouldn't it?" Amory's voice spoke up sleepily from the couch. "After all, I designed both the castle and this mansion."

My eyes widened. "Really? That's amazing!"

A light blush colored the dormouse's cheeks and he looked away. "N-not really _amazing_…my designs are mediocre at best…"

"Nonsense." Etta ruffled his hair. "Your being modest."

He blushed a bit darker. "I-I…This isn't about my architecture!"

Etta smirked and nodded. "Your right. I second Vincent's plan."

I almost laughed out loud when I saw Sven's face turn from smug to anger. Or perhaps jealousy. I had to put a hand over my mouth to stifle a giggle. "but-!"

Etta raised an eyebrow. "What? Do you have a better plan?"

Sven's face reddened and he shook his head very slightly. Etta laughed a little and Vincent gave a satisfactory smirk. Even Amory giggled a little but stopped immediately when Sven glared daggers at him. I closed my eyes as the twins began to poke and tease Sven for something that I wasn't paying attention to. I smiled to myself as I realized something wonderful, yet sad. I felt more at home here than I ever had. My home wasn't New York. It was Wonderland. My family wasn't Allen, Marsha, Brendon, and Karrie Monrey. My family, those who I felt were my _real _family were Theo, Quinn, Vincent, Amory, Dee, Dum and even Sven and Etta.

This is where I belong.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**So sorry for my super long hiatus but hopefully I won't be doing that for a while. ^^() I was grounded for the longest time!**


	9. Break in

Later that night we decided sleeping arrangements. Vincent refused to sleep on the same floor as Sven, who slept on the third floor tonight. I had asked Sven why he had so many rooms and he told me that he liked sleeping in a different one every night. Etta let Vincent have the attic room on the fourth floor. Etta took the room next to Sven's, who would often have trouble sleeping and would go find where Etta was and talk to her until they both fell asleep. I thought their relationship was adorable. Quinn had the room across from Amory's on the second floor which was cruelly funny.

"thought process sortta failed with that one." Quinn pointed out, laughing at the terrified look on Amory's face.

Theo took the room next to mine on the second floor for fear that something might happen to me. The twins had the one bedroom on the ground floor with two beds.

"I guess Dee and Dum don't like to be apart." I smiled.

Sven shook his head. "Never. Those two are inseparable."

"how cute!" I laughed a little.

Etta smirked darkly. "Cute until they slit your throat."

I shuddered and went to my room.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Sometime in the night, my door opened. I sat up, wearing a nightgown I had borrowed from Etta, seeing as mine was covered in blood from 1. being stabbed, and 2. Hugging Quinn how was also stained with blood though he didn't see to mind. Amory stood timidly in the doorway, face illuminated by the light of a candle.

"M-Miss Alice...C-can I sleep in your room tonight...?" he asked, sounding nervous.

I smiled sadly. "Sure, Amory. Is Quinn scaring you?"

the dormouse nodded cutely and crawled into bed beside me, wrapping his arms around my waist. I was about to protest but I saw that the poor little mouse was already asleep. I smiled and stroked his hair gently. I closed my eyes and faded into a dream.

_I was back in my two bedroom apartment in New York City. It was exactly like the last time I had seen it. Cozy but cluttered and messy. The only difference was that I couldn't find my father anywhere.I looked everywhere and finally went to his room. The door slammed shut behind me and in the mirror, instead of my reflection, I saw my father staring back._

"I'd rather kill you."

My dreamworld shattered like glass.I was falling fast into black nothingness.

I woke up to a shout downstairs. Amory jumped up beside me. "What is it?" I whispered.

"cards."

There were loud crashes above us and violent cursing that sounded like Vincent. Then hissing and glass breaking from down the hall. I couldn't take it anymore. I picked up a lamp from the corner and raced outside the safety of my room. I saw Theo being dragged away by the ears, forehead bleeding. Quinn was clawing at a card's face. Another grabbed him by the tail and jerked him to the ground. I ran over and smashed the lamp into the back of the card's head, sending shards of lamp into his skull. Quinn looked up. "Alice..." I helped him to his feet. Amory was beside me in an instant. There was something different about him. He seemed more alert. More dangerous. He held a long, sharp rapier in his left hand, poised to strike. A card upstairs fought tooth and nail with Vincent. They both went crashing down the stairs. They both lay still.

There was a loud shot and another card fell down the stairs, a bullet hole in his forehead. Etta slid down the banister, a sniper rifle in her hands.

"Do you want to play?" She asked the card that had fallen with Vincent. He looked up but as soon as he did, a bullet was sent through his brain. "tag. Your it." she smirked, wiping splattered blood off her face.

"Etta!" cried Dum's voice from downstairs. "someone help!"

Etta bounded down the stairs towards the cries. Amory followed.I rushed over to Vincent. Quinn put a hand on my shoulder to steady my shaking as I looked at Vincent's head bleeding everywhere. Tears welled in my eyes and I tore off the bottom of my nightgown to just above my knees. I bandaged Vincent's head as best I could until I heard a crash downstairs. Cards marched in perfect time up the stairs, feet slamming the ground in a sinister rhythm. They surrounded us, all spears pointed directly at us. I felt a sweeping sense of failure so great that the only thing I could do was hold tight to Vincent and Quinn's hands as if my life depended on it, which it did. They rounded us up and marched us away to the Castle of Hearts as prisoners.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.--.-.-.-

The prison was cold and dark and smelled like blood, death and fear. I was thrown into a cell with Quinn, Vincent and Dee. Vincent was still out cold and Quinn was hugging me tight but I was extremely worried about Dee. He was shaking with tears in his eyes. He really didn't want to be seperated from his brother. He fell to the ground and hugged his knees. I knelt down and hugged him. "sh...It's ok...I'm so sorry..."

"It's not ok. We're going to die in here." Vincent said darkly, sitting up.

"Shut up, Vincent." Quinn snapped.

"Well, it's the truth." Vincent growled. "And it's all because of him." he pointed between the bars of the cell. Straight at Sven.

**BUH BUH BUH!**


	10. Break Out! End part 1

**HOLAY CARP! YOU GUYS MADE IT TO CHAPTER 10 I'M SO HAPPY! I'LL TELL YOU WHY AT THE END!**

The minute he caught sight of Sven, Quinn rushed forward and slashed his face through the bars "YOU GODDAMN TRAITOR!" He slashed again but this time the guards on either side of Sven grabbed Quinn by the wrist. Vincent and I pulled the cat out of their grasp just in case they decided to break his arm. There were tears in my eyes and Dee seemed to be holding back tears as well. Quinn slumped hopelessly to the ground and Vincent glowered at Sven with a glare I would be afraid of.

After a moment there was a shriek of rage. Two cards were pulling a wildly thrashing Etta down the hall. She kicked one in the face hard with the heel of her boot and the other let go in shock. She rushed over to Sven, cursing at him in mixed languages with each step. She punched him hard in the jaw. "How could you? You stupid son of a bitch are you truly a dog of the queen now?"

For a second I thought I saw regret pass over Sven's face. "Actually, Henrietta, I was going to issue you a pardon. As long as you did as you're told."

She spat at his feet. "Fuck you and your pardons! Fuck your queen and your laws and your goddamn witch hunts for little girls who've never done anything to anybody! I will rot in here with my friends before I ever take you fucking 'pardon'!"

"Suit yourself, Etta." He motioned for the guards and they dragged Etta away to a different cell. A group leading Theo, Amory and Dum went towards the same cell. Dee gasped and reached out to Dum. Dum broke away from the group and clasped his hand with Dee's, interlacing fingers. The guards came to drag Dum away.

"Stop." Sven said. "Let them in the same cell. Take the girl instead." They nodded, opening the cell and pushing Dum through, who tightly embraced his brother. The both cried quietly. I jumped a little when arms wrapped around my waist. It was Vincent. He was hugging me. I hugged him back. He held for a few seconds and then Quinn hugged me, panting a kiss on my forehead. "Don't worry, Alice."

The guards dragged me away and down the hall of cells to one near the end of the hall, containing Etta, Theo, Amory and someone I didn't recognize. The small form was huddled in a corner so nothing about it was really discernable. For a moment, I thought it was dead. The bars slammed shot behind me and the guards marched away. I was instantly hugged tight by Theo. "Princess, I was so worried! I'm so glad you're ok!" I hugged him back and nodded. "I was worried about you too…all of you…" Tears streaked down my face and fell with a soft _pat pat pat_ against the stone floor.

"Please don't cry, my lady…" a voice from the corner piped up. It was a soft, lyrical voice but I could tell it was masculine. I went over to the form and kneeled in front of it. "Please show your face?" I asked softly. The figure raised his head. He had pale skin and a long scar running down his face from his forehead to his cheek bone and right through his right eye which would never open again. The other was large and a pastel green with dark rather feminine eyelashes. His hair was wavy and russet red. The marks on his face showed that he had been crying a lot. He dressed in rags and there was dirt on his face. As he looked at me, tears sprung in his eyes again. "M-my lady…you've grown so beautiful…since I saw you last." He began to sob. "Shh…don't cry…forgive me for not remembering but…what's your name?"

"Max Taylor…" He smiled sadly. "We used to play together as children. "You were only two then and I was six. I would cry when I would fall but you were so strong, even then. You grabbed my hand and pulled with all your might to get me up." He laughed sadly.

"Why are you in here, Max?" I asked.

"I'm in here because I spoke too freely. I spoke against the queen. My friend tried to help me, but he failed…a-and…and his execution it tonight…" Max began to cry again.

I hugged him. "Shh…don't do that…" I bit my lip and looked around. The prison was located in the center of the rose maze. I looked around hopelessly. I knew one thing right now and one thing only. We have to get out of here. Amory beat me to the punch though.

"We'll save him, Max. We're getting out of here tonight." I looked over at Amory as Max cried into my shoulder. "You mean it?"

Etta clapped a hand on Amory's shoulder, making him wobble. "He means it. Amory Vance knows his shit. He designed this place so he knows ways out that the cards themselves don't know."

Amory smiled at the praise and nodded. "But first we have to get out of here."

Max looked up and smiled sadly. "I know a way. Watch." He stood up (as I expected he was rather short and very thin) and went to the bars. He leaned an arm out and threw a rock down towards the entrance. He grinned as he heard a shout of shock and then approaching stomps. Right as the guard reached the cell, Max lashed out with a sharpened edge of another stone, slicing the man across the throat. As he fell, Max caught the key ring and pulled it from his belt. All the while Theo was watching him closely. His eyes narrowed. I looked up at him. "What?"

"The Mock Turtle never does anything for anyone without something in return." He said with a scowl.

"Don't call me that!" I was shocked at the rage behind Max's voice. He turned away, took a deep breath. His smile sprang back to his face. "Can't I simply aid my future queen?"

Theo's eyes narrowed but he nodded once. Max unlocked the gate and led us through. Another two guards ran at us but Etta and Theo dispatched them quickly and easily. Etta by breaking bones and Theo by hitting pressure points. I took the keys from Max and ran over to the cell where my other friends were being kept. Vincent's eyes widened as I flung open the gate, freeing them. The twins rushed out, hand in hand and hugged me tight.

"Thank you, Lady Alice!" Dum cried. "We love you, Lady Alice!" Dee said in the same tone.

"I love you guys too." I stroked their hair lightly. They let go a minute later and Vincent came over. He hugged me. "I'm sorry you had to endure this, Alice…" I shook my head. "I'm fine. Really. I'm just glad we're all safe." He nodded. I frowned as I noticed he was shaking. His face was pale as well. "Are you ok…?" I asked sadly. "Yes…I'm fine…Just tired is all."

The minute he let go, Quinn rushed over and scooped me up into his arms. He held me tight and kissed my cheek. I thought that Quinn would be a bit more affectionate with his worry than Vincent was but this was shocking. He spun me once and set me down staring down at me sternly. "You swear your ok?" I nodded and smiled sadly. "I swear." He hugged me once more and then looked around.

We gathered the weapons that the guards had dropped and also found three more spears and two guns. The six spears were distributed to Amory, Etta, Vincent, Theo, Quinn, and Max. Dee and Dum took the guns.

"The plan is," said Amory seriously. "to make it to the underground passage as quickly as we can. It's in this maze so just follow me. Whatever you do. If you don't, you _will_ get lost."

We all nodded in agreement. He opened the door to the outside and we we're ready for the fight of our lives.

**THIS IS A JOYOUS OCCASSION DUE TO THE FACT THAT NOOOOOOWWWWW! DUH DUH DUH DUH!**

**YOU'VE MADE IT TO PART TWO! THATS RIGHT! WE'RE HALFWAY DONE! AND IF YOU WANT A SAY IN WHAT I WRITE NEXT THEN VOTE IN THE POLL ON MY PROFILE PAGE.**


	11. The Jabberwock

The first thing I saw was cards. A semicircle of cards. They had already been alerted. I heard Amory curse. "I was hoping we'd have more time." He clenched his teeth. He turned to me. "We have to get you out of here." I bit my lip. "I can't leave you guys!"

"It's for the good of the kingdom." Theo said sadly. "We have an obligation to protect you at any cost."

"Not just an obligation!" Etta said. "Amory, Vincent, Dee, Dum and Max. Take Alice into the maze. Get her to the secret passage. Quinn, Theo and I will take care of these shits."

Amory, Max and the twins nodded and began to pull me along. Vincent began to protest but when a card slashed at him with a long sword, Etta had to shove him violently out of the way and deflect the blow. "You're ill, Vincent. You won't be any help if you're dead." He did look a bit sickly.

Vincent followed after Amory into the labyrinth of hedges and roses. I couldn't help but look back at my other companions as they readied for battle. I heard a horn being blown loudly and saw a mass of cards rush forward at them. But, before I saw any more, we turned a corner and they were lost to my eyes.

We hadn't gotten far when Vincent right out collapsed. He just crumpled to the ground like a marionette whose strings had been cut. I gasped and ran back to him. Dee and Dum stood on either side of me. Amory crouched in front of Vincent. He pressed a hand to the hookah smoker's forehead. "He has a fever…"

I frowned and turned around to see where Max was. He was just standing off to the side. I gasped when suddenly a hedge wall that had been on my right slid right between me and Amory. "Th-the maze moves?" I gasped.

I could hear Amory pace behind the leafy barrier. "Alice, listen. Follow the trail of white roses." I looked around. There were many roses but all were red. Every last one. "What do you mean, the white ones? They're all red!"

"Some aren't," I looked around, checking if I missed any. When I found none I called back lamely, "Where?"

"Some are only stained red! The gardeners made a mistake and so the queen beheaded them on the spot and they're blood splattered the roses. They make a path because the ones with white roses don't move."

I nodded and started walking. Max followed. "Be careful!" Amory called. "There are worse things than cards in here!"

I bit my lip but walked on all the same. As I went, I grabbed hold of rose after rose, rubbing blood off a single petal. Max and I took a right turn and saw something strange. It was a huge granite alter of sorts and on it lay a long glittering sword. There was silver spun into the handle and a sapphire embedded in the blade. The blade itself was so shiny that it looked like liquid glass.

That's when I noticed something else. A figure dressed all in black was suddenly standing right in front of me. His black cloak swished in the sudden gust of wind. He looked at me intently from under the fringe of black, straight-as-a-pin hair that fell into his face and was tied back in a red ribbon (which probably wasn't necessary, seeing as his hair would have only _just_ reached his shoulders.). He stood about 6' tall and was lean and carried three (visible) weapons. But, the most striking, and the most frightening feature about him were his cold empty eyes. They were sharp and calculating and seemed to glow in the shadow. They were a deep purple color with orange bursts and slit pupils.

He drew a dagger from his hip and pointed the jagged edge at me. "Enemies of the queen shall be annihilated." He said calmly and sinisterly. I bit my lip but stood my ground. He lunged at me and I only _just_ escaped being stabbed in the face. The knife had nicked the side of my face and I felt the blood drip and roll down my face like thick, crimson tears. He turned on his heel and slashed at me, rapidly and repeatedly without rest. It was the most I could do to keep avoiding them, which I didn't manage to do very well.

I raised my arms over my face to protect myself as best I could. I did not panic. I did not scream. All I could think about was my definite and absolute need to survive. To protect my new family. And to save Wonderland.

Suddenly the blows stopped.

"THE SWORD ALICE!"

I removed my arms from my face in time to see the man, in a momentary state of surprise, being held back by Max. I came to my senses but unfortunately so did the man in black. He grabbed Max by the throat and slammed him to the ground. I gasped and ran to the altar. I grabbed the sword with both hands but found it extremely light. I felt my wounds heal themselves and a sudden burning determination fill my heart. I turned to face the man dressed all in black and raised the sword to his throat. "Release my friend."

"The vorpal blade…" He murmured. "impossible. Not even the Queen can wield that sword… But you are…So you must be…" He let go of Max immediately and stuck the dagger into the ground. He kneeled at my feet and bowed his head.

"…Alice…"

I looked down at him shocked. He looked back up at me, venom and hatred mixed with the cold apathy I had seen up until now. I could tell he didn't like bowing to me. "Please…make my death quick." He said quietly.

"Death?" I gasped.

"The prophesy foretells that the one who can wield the Vorpal sword will be the one to end my life…So make it quick. Or I will revoke the offer and kill you where you stand."

I bit my lip and put the sword to his neck. My whole body shook. Then I smiled and lowered the sword. "How about this. I won't kill you if you help me. And, when this is all over, if you still see fit, you can kill me. Deal?" I held out a hand for him to shake.

I could see him eyeing it suspiciously. He finally grasped my hand. Hard. Like he wanted very much to break my fingers. His left eye twitched a little. Then h replied through sharp gritted teeth;

"Deal."

**not a very good chapter...i apologize, my readers. *crys in corner***


	12. SAAAAAAAAAAAAAD

As we walked, I could feel the man in black glaring at the back of my head. I glanced over at Max who looked absolutely petrified.

"What's wrong?" I whispered. He made a tiny, almost unnoticeable gesture with his head in the direction of the man. "Who is he?" I asked.

"I am Cerberus." He spoke up in that same sinisterly dark voice he used when he declared he was going to kill me. "The Jabberwock." I saw Max flinch when he said the word 'Jabberwock'.

"What's a Jabberwock?" I asked. I realized I was picturing the annoyed sigh and exasperated expression Vincent would have given me at that moment for not knowing such a blatantly obvious piece of information. Then I realized something else. I was worried beyond belief. He had just passed out and We had left him, Amory and the twins alone in this place.

Max's explanation pulled me back to reality. "It's a monster. The most feared and most dangerous creature in all of wonderland. The queen's monster."

"That is correct." Cerberus spoke up. "And if it weren't for the deal we made and the fact that you wield the vorpal sword, I would kill you where you stand. Alice."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-.-.-

(ETTA)

There's blood on my face, my clothes, and my hands. I can feel it sinking into my skin as I swing the blade of the spear in the air. stabbing it into cards, tearing it out, slicing through skin, flesh, and bone as easy as a hot knife through butter. I have a sort of solemn respect for these cards. The fight to the death, completely aware of their Queen's intentions, yet, still with a twisted loyalty, don't even scream when they are cut down in battle.

Amid the swirl of black and red I saw flashes of white and hues of pinks and purples signifying that Theodore and Quinn hadn't been beaten yet. It made me feel stronger just by knowing that we were all still fighting together. Fighting to protect our Alice. To protect our Queen.

But that short lived strength diminished as I caught sight of one person.

Sven Hatter.

He was standing there sword drawn, hat discarded and hair slicked back. I felt my insides twist in disgust. I couldn't stand seeing him standing there like that, dressed like a proper goddamn soldier. All in black armor with a red heart painted oh so fuckin' neatly on the chest like he was a fuckin' card himself. A card. A traitor. Instead of the goofy little mad boy I had grown up with. That I had befriended. That I had...

Loved.

It was the strangest and most important realization I had ever come to. Or would ever come to. Because as I admitted to myself that I did, indeed love Sven...I also knew that I loved him enough to let him go.

I crossed the battle field towards him briskly. Everything seemed to slow to a stop. Everything except Sven and I. He saw me only when I was halfway to him and something flickered in his green eye. It looked like a painful mixture of regret, sadness, pity and some other emotion. Love, perhaps? My heart ached at the sight of him fighting against me after so many years promising to stand by each other. No matter what. And now, we were here. Separated only by a few feet, but I had never felt so distant from him.

So utterly alone.

My world was being torn apart by the seems at every move he made. Every clash of metal on metal and every cry of rage or agony in the background were nothing to me. Nothing mattered to me except us.

I was the first to attack.

I stabbed out at him with my spear and he blocked it with his blade. We cut and slashed at each other a few more times but neither of us made a scratch on the other.

"I'm sorry, Etta." He was the first to speak.

"Don't! Don't apologize now! Not after what you've done to us. I cannot except any apologies from you." I felt tears in my eyes already and I really wish that they hadn't reflected in my voice as it cracked noticeably.

"I just wish it had been different. I wish that I hadn't betrayed you...Your all that I have, Etta...I-I love you..." He was crying now too. Not as badly as I was.

I stopped fighting. I couldn't do it. I fell to my knees and let out a sob I had been choking back. He hugged me close. "shh...I'm sorry..."

I shook my head. "No, Sven...I love you too. That's why I have to do this...Then we'll be together again...like we used to..."

He coughed up blood onto my shirt as I plunged the blade of my spear through his heart. He smiled gently and his eyes began to fall closed.

Sven Hatter, the only one I had ever loved, died in my arms on that battle field. And as I felt him draw in his very last breath, I held him close to me and whispered an almost silent farewell to him and only him.

"Good bye, My Hatter."

**OMFG! THIS MADE ME SUPER DUPER SAD TO WRITE! AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! ETTA WHY ARE YOU SO SAD I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! WHAAAAA! Incase you can't tell, this is the first time I've ever permanently killed off a character. It's a bit soul breaking for me. I hated sven for a time but now my heart just feels...EMPTY! Kinda short. DAMN YOU TO HELL, WRITER'S BLOCK!**


	13. Rescue

(max)

I reflected on how I got seperated from Alice and the jabberwock for what must have been the 15th time. It wasn't like when amory, Vincent and the twins were seperated from us. It was my choice. I hated seeing Alice trying to make friends with that... That... MONSTER! No, I'm not being harsh. After all, she was MY friend first... As I was walking, I seemed to miss the sign reading 'CHOPPING BLOCK' because that's what I saw next. That and a giant cage suspended very high in the air, guarded by cards. I tried to duck and hide but they had already caught me. I gasped in fear when they charged at me.

Mock fear.

Because the minute they got within stabbing distance with their spears, I lept up onto one of them, then onto it's owner's shoulders. He took a swip at me and ended up slashing himself across the face, seeing as I had already lept away from him. The cage was held up very high by a very large pole, bent at the top, swinging the cage right over where the occupant's head was going to be. Without further adue, I began to climb up the pole. Climbing was always something I was good at.

When I reached the bend in the pole, I made the number one mistake of climbing;

Looking down.

I gulped and started to shake. I was so high...I could feel my grip slackening. What if I were to fall...? My heart was racing. I would never save him...my feet started to slip. I'm useless. Weak. A coward.

"you can do it, max." A thick accented, deep, familier voice snapped me out of my epiphany. I looked over at the cage. It was him! It was my best friend in that cage.

"gryph...your still alive..." tears started to spill from my eyes at the sight of the blond man with huge, currently folded wings in the cage. He smiled sadly and reached his hand out to me. It wouldn't reach. Not even if I held out my hand too. But, knowing Gryph all these years made it so I knew that it wasn't supposed to reach. The outstretched hand was encouragment.

A goal.

I began to pull myself along the pole towards the cage. I threaded one hand's fingers with his and the other hand I latched onto the bar of a cage. I didn't ever want to let go. I had to let go of one, however, in order to pick the lock so, I released Gryph's hand and pulled a lock pick out of my pocket.

Once the lock clicked open, gryph swung the door open and pulled me into a hug. I sobbed in relief and burried my face in his chest, crying as usual. He picked me up and his wings spread.

My eyes widened. "no...no no no no no...!"

I screamed as he jumped out of the cage with me. He laughed a little at my reaction and flew away from the execution area.

(Alice)

Cerberus had told me repeatedly with growing levels of rage, that I was NOT to go back to find my friends. I was to go straight to the castle. And I was to cut down anything in my path with the vorpal sword.

However, what I 'had' to do and what I actually DID were two totally different matters.

What I did was tell him that I WAS going back for them. And that a certain pissy jabberwock was going with me.

He put up a very good verbal fight but of course, our deal would be void if he didn't come with me. And so, here we were, back at the hedge that had separated max and I from amory and the others. I tried to cut through it but it just kept growing back.

Cerberus rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. He let out and ear spliting, inhuman roar and a beam of purple light exploded past his lips, obliterating the hedges. I blinked.

"erm...Cerberus...?"

"don't ask questions." was all he said before grabbing my arm and pulling me through the opening.

I saw the blood before I saw anything else. Then the bodies.

But it's not as bad as I feared.

The blood and the bodies belonged to cards, not my friends.

Amory and the twins rushed over to me. The twins clung to my legs and amory hugged me tight. I smiled then noticed a third figure.

At first I didn't recognize him. He was tall and thin with green-blue hair that fell to his knees. He wore a strange skeletal-looking armor (which I realized later was actually an exoskeletan of sorts) over a navy blue tattered army uniform. His eyes were sharp and purple and two, nearly transparant wings drooped from his back. I felt like I knew his face but I couldn't place it. I definatly knew his expression. The narrowed eyes and pursed lips gave the epitome of an annoyed face. Once he spoke, I was sure of who he was.

"why did you come back? Stupid girl."

My eyes widened. I rushed at him as fast as I could and threw my arms around him. He cried out and fell back. I landed ontop of him.

"VINCENT!"

He growled a little. "get off me!" he tried to push me off but I clung to him tighter. Amory laughed a little.

"A-Alice...you should get off of him. He's still a bit weak from the metamorphosis."

I looked down at him. "metamorphosis?"

"yes...I'm, well I was...a caterpillar. Now I'm a..." I smiled big and interupted him.

"your a butterfly~! That's so cute!"

He glared. "thank you. Now get off."

I grinned and did as I was told.

As soon as we started walking towards where Quinn and the others had been, I knew that Vincent would have to deal with a certain cat's teasing for the rest of his life.


	14. The Queen and her Knight

(Alice)

The minute we found them, I was hug-tackled by two animal-eared boys. I'll give you three guesses to who they are. Quinn and Theo. I laughed and smiled at them sadly. "You two didn't miss me at all, did you?" Theo laughed and Quinn grinned. "More than you know, princess." Theo hugged me tight.

"Where's Etta?" I asked. No one answered, though I felt Theo's grip loosen a little and his eyes droop sadly. Quinn, however, seemed a little preoccupied with glaring at Cerberus suspiciously.

"Jabberwock..." His eyes narrowed and flashed gold.

"Cheshire." Cerberus held his apathetic face.

I a flash, they were inches away from each other. Cerberus was pressing the edge of his dagger into Quinn's back, drawing blood. Quinn had his right hand clenched around Cerberus' throat and the left on his shoulder, claws out, embedded in his flesh. They had never even broken eye contact.

"A bit of a useless predicament." Quinn hissed.

"Seeing as neither one of us can actually kill the other." Cerberus growled.

"Guys, stop it." I stood up and pushed in between them and forced them away from each other.

"Quinn, please don't hurt him. For me?" I looked up at him pleadingly.

"Anything for you, Alice."

I smiled and turned to Cerberus. "Hurt him and the deals off." I smirked challengingly.

He glared. "As you wish."

I smiled and hooked my arm with Quinn who smiled. "No where's Etta?" I asked.

He bit his lip. "Come with me."

He led me away and towards where the battle must have taken place. There was so much blood that I almost felt sick (luckily, I was born with a strong stomach). Crimson blood staining the grass, the trees, and the white fabric of card's uniforms. He led me over to a particular spot and I couldn't believe my eyes. I felt my stomach lurch but not from disgust.

From sorrow.

There lay Etta, her once beautiful blue eyes now clouded with death and wide open. Her face was pale and her hair was fanned out around her. There was a dagger going right through her heart and her hand was clasped tightly around something. I realized, it was another hand. I looked to see who it was and my already breaking heart shattered a little more. She was clutching Sven's hand tighter than humanly possible.

Even in death, she would never let go.

Sven, too, had a dagger right through his heart, though his eyes were closed.

I finally released the sob I had been with holding. I threw myself down beside Etta and closed her eyes gently. I felt like i was being torn apart. I hadn't felt this much sadness before in my life. I just couldn't handle it. As I sobbed on the ground, as loud as I could, even after my throat started to burn and I started to cough painfully, choking on my tears, I fought to deny the truth.

I had caused the deaths of two of my best friend. That's right. Sven was still my friend even though he had landed me in prison. I knew he was still a good man. No matter what. But now he and Etta were both dead. And it was all my fault.

Quinn placed his hands on my shoulders. I stood up and threw myself into his waiting arms. He hugged me close as I cried into his chest. "O-Oh Quinn...! I don't know what to do! I don't want to hurt anyone anymore!"

I felt his hand stroking my hair. "Alice...As long as we're dieing for you...We don't mind."

I clutched his shirt in my fists and looked up at him horrified. "I don't want you to die for me! I don't want you to die ever! Not any of you!"

He leaned down and kissed my forehead lightly. "I promise, Alice, if it's what you truly want...I'll stand by your side forever. I'll be your knight and you'll be my queen. I'll protect you for all eternity. If that is what you truly desire." I was hardly aware of his hand stroking my face gently as he spoke.

I hugged him. "I do...I want to be together, next to you...forever..."

"As you wish...My Queen..."

His hand cupped my chin gently and tilted my head up slightly. His face began to edge closer to mine. My eyes drooped and I stood on my tip toes a little and leaned closer as well. His right arm slipped around my waist and his left hand twirled a piece of my hair. My hands came to rest on his shoulders. Our lips were centimeters apart when a sudden trumpet sounded in the distance.

"...cards..." he said sadly, smiling a little. "Lets get you back. We've found something for you."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He led me back to where the others were, giving me a moment to clear the huge blush on my face before leading me into the prison. We walked down a long hall at the end of which, Quinn pressed a brick in the wall. The wall split in the middle and swung open revealing a display of sorts. It was a small suit of armor with a large red heart painted on the front. My eyes widened at how much it shined and how there wasn't a single scratch.

"A good change from that nightgown, huh?" Quinn smirked.

I smiled up at him. "I'm ready, Quinn. Ready to take back Wonderland."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

I had soon changed into the glorious armor and was now tying my hair up with a bit of blew fabric that had come from my nightgown. I smiled and walked out of the prison. Amory kneeled before me and held up the vorpal sword.

"Your blade, Milady."

I smiled and took it. I raised it a little. "Rise, and look to the castle. For soon it shall be ours. Soon the people shall have their Wonderland once again!"

I raised my sword higher, to the sky, feeling no weight at all. Feeling like this was natural. And as all of my friends stood and drew their weapons to join mine in the sky, I knew that it was.

That this is what I was born for.

**AN: Can you BELIEVE that this was supposed to be a happy chapter?**

**Random song lyric:**

**"I'm a lady, Futher Mucker, try to show some class." -Kerli 'Tea Party'.**


	15. In the Castle

**AN: WOW 15 chapters already. It seems like just a couple months ago that this story was nothing but a baby idea in my brain. Well, we have 5 more chapters to go. 5 more for me to write and 5 more for you to read. Well, technically 4 more + and Epilouge. Also, I'v decided. THERE WILL BE A SEQUAL!**

(Alice)

We were running.

Blurs of red and green flew by as our group dashed through the maze towards the trap door that led to the tunnel into the castle. We did our best to avoid the cards but they were gaining on us faster than we had anticipated. When the first wave started catching up to us, Cerberus spun around and obliterated them with his purple death beam that somehow shot out of his mouth without blowing his own face off.

We finally reached the trap door in about 15 minutes of non-stop running. It was hidden by a slab of stone which Dee and Dum easily removed. Something told me that under that adorable facade of small children, they were inhumanly powerful. The twins climbed into the passage, hand in hand, first. Then Amory. Then Theo. Then Cerberus. Then Vincent.

Quinn gestured to the passage, holding the stone slab up for me. "After you."

Then we heard the cards. They were coming down the hedge pass just around the corner. And it sounded like there were a lot of them. I grabbed hold of the stone and held it up with all my strength. I pushed Quinn into the passage. He gasped and looked at me terrified. "A-Alice-!"

In a quick moment of something I cannot describe in words, I fell to my knees and was at just the perfect level to press my lips to his. Which I did. And the spark of emotion I got was another thing I could never describe but could never live without. It was three seconds of pure love.

I moved away and pushed him back a little. I closed the slab of stone above his head and stood up again just as the cards rounded the corner. They surrounded me in an instant and pointed their spears at me. I felt sick with worry but clutched the vorpal sword tight. I struck forward, like a snake striking it's prey, and decapitated the nearest guard. I was done playing around. I wasn't the stereotypical girl who would be horrified of herself and near catatonic if she ever killed someone. No. It's not that I was used to it. It's just that I knew that to achieve my goal, these cards would have to die. Maybe not all of them, that was overkill. But a lot of them already had. So I supposed a lot more would have to.

The minute the card's head hit the floor, the rest charged at me. I slashed and killed another. I swung my sword again. Another fell. Then another and another. I was expecting to be quickly over powered, so it gave me some shock when a voice called my name loudly from above. I looked up just in time to see Max swoop down at me, carried by another man about his age with golden blond hair and matching wings.

He reached down and grabbed my hand and the other man grabbed me around the waist to pick me up off the ground. We ascended into the sky once more leaving a few hundred, rather confused, cards to gaze up at us. I shut my eyes tight before realizing something. I was FLYING. I had always wanted to fly. I looked down and around me. It was beautiful.

"Forgive the abrupt rescue, Miss Alice."

That had to be the man with wings. His voice was so different from Max's. It was deep and smooth with a thick English accent where as Max's was soft and lyrical. Almost feminine. I imagined them both to have lovely singing voices. But that was beside the point.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Forgive me for late introductions. I'm Gryphon. Or Gryph is what Max calls me. Which ever you like."

I nodded. I looked down again. We were nearing the castle. I was a huge structure with many terraces, towers, and sharp violent points. It's walls were blood red and the three flags that flew above it were black each with one red heart in the middle that wore a crown. We swooped up to a window on the first floor. and Gryph landed, letting Max and I down. We crawled through the window into something like a kitchen. I looked around when suddenly, one of the stone slabs moved up, revealing two pairs of eyes, one blue, one red. The slab was thrown back with a loud crash. "Alice!" The two twins cried, hugging me. "You weren't in the tunnel with us!" Dee smiled. "We thought you got hurt." Dum smiled identically.

The other's emerged a moment later. Quinn came up last but rushed full speed and hugged me tight. "Alice!" He kissed my forehead. "Don't EVER scare me like that!"

I smiled sadly. "I'm sorry but I had to. But we're all together again, see?"

Vincent frowned and his wings fluttered annoyed. "for now. But remember, we can't come with you when you confront your mother."

I looked at the ground. "I know...I just hope I can do this."

"Of course you can! It's in the book of prophecy!" Amory smiled. "We all have faith in you, Alice."

"Thank you...All of you." I smiled sadly. "I don't know what I would have done without you."

I thought back about a week ago and almost laughed. I had gone to my grandfather's expecting nothing but boredom. I had opened that door out of curiosity. I had no idea that any of this would happen. Back then I would say I'd never want any of this to happen. But now, I wouldn't have it any different.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The plan was set. It wasn't too complicated either. They were going to guard me as best they could and get me to the throne room. No matter what. Obviously, I had no say in this plan. I didn't want anymore of my friends to get hurt because of me. And I would do my best to make sure none of them would.


	16. The first riddle and the second floor

(Alice)

Blood spurting. The clash of metal on metal. Cries of pain. Limp dead bodies falling to the ground. All these sights and sounds dominated my senses and were all I could focus on as my friends and I fought tooth and nail through the lower floor of the Castle of Hearts. Hundreds, perhaps near thousands of cards were going to give their lives to keep us from our destination.

I saw Quinn clawing a card's face into bloody ribbons as I spun, decapitating a card myself. I turned and stabbed another through the stomach and saw Vincent and Amory dodging and slicing cards. I blocked a stab from my right just barely and decided to keep my mind on my own fights. I stabbed and slashed a path through the card soldiers. My friends followed after the last few cards in that wave fell dead.

We followed the long hall as fast and far as we could before we came to two large double doors. They were painted a retina burning shade of white with a large blue diamond on the front. On the diamond was carved an inscription.

"What is broken when it's spoken?"

I frowned and re-read it. I frowned It was a riddle. And by the looks of it, there was no way to open the door. Or at least, no other way to open the door than to answer the riddle. I was never any good at riddles. This one was generally easy, though. I mean, judging by the fact that it only took Max a matter of seconds to blurt out;

"Silence."

The doors swung open to reveal a large staircase. Max smiled big. "I think there's a riddle for each floor." He started walking up. Gryph followed. As the plan went, Vincent stayed behind and created a sort of wall of hookah smoke over the door to block it off. I waved goodbye to him as the rest of the group and I followed Max and Gryph.

When we got to the second floor, the hall was considerably shorter but with a lot more doors. That all looked the same. We decided to split up and each check a door. I walked up to the one at the end of the hallway and opened it. A blinding flash of light surrounded me and when I opened it, forcing me to shut my eyes tight.

When I opened them, I was no longer in the castle of hearts. Where I was, however, was much worse. There was that familiar substance that seemed to start off every new place I entered.

Blood.

But it didn't stop there. Next I saw the flesh of the bodies cleaved from white bone. They hadn't even been simply stabbed. They had been _**slaughtered! **_And I knew immediately who the three corpses were.

Sven, Etta, and my father.

When I looked down, what I saw almost made me vomit. I was holding a meat cleaver in my right hand and my armor and the blade were splattered with _**so. much. blood.**_

There was a sickening cracking sound as my father's head twisted around to look up at me. His eyes were bugged out and all of the blood vessels in them had broken. There were entrails and blood pouring out of his mouth as he spoke.

"Stay with us, Alice."

There was an awful wailing noise as Etta stood up like a puppet on strings. She staggered towards me and cupped my chin with a deathly cold hand which was missing two fingers.

"We loved you, Alice. Why did you do this to us?" Her bloody face was very close to mine now. I found myself holding my breath from fear when I felt Etta's lips meet mine. The kiss felt a lot different than when I had kissed Quinn. I had done that out of love but now, cornered, I felt sick to my stomach.

When Etta pulled away, all the horrible things were gone. All the blood and the cleaver. I was wearing a flowing white robe now, instead of my armor and all three of them were angels now, not corpses. Etta was hugging me and smiling beautifully. "I'm sorry about that, but it was necessary to remove the illusion. Now you can stay with us, Alice. You can stay here... forever. You never have to see death again or have any responsibility... just stay with us, Alice..."

I felt my eyes droop as her words echoed in my head.

_"stay with us, Alice..."_

_"stay with us..."_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

(Quinn)

As I watched Alice disappear behind the door at the end of the hall, I tried to follow her, but the door was shut tight. I frowned, hoping she'd be able to get out. I turned to face the door beside it and tilted my head curiously. I reach forward and went through the door.

When I came out on the other side, I was outside in the snow, surrounded by dead, snowy trees. I turned to exit back through the door, only to find it no longer there. But I did see a crowd of children, coming towards me, throwing rocks. My eyes widened and I looked down at myself.

I was about 5 years old.

I gasped. I remember this! When I was young, I was chased out of school by the other children in my village. I was the only animal there and none of them liked me at all. They threw things and called me names.

I began to run as a rock hit me in the arm. I ran through the trees, jumping over rocks and through bushes, ignoring the angry shouts from the flowers. I looked back for an instant and then I cried out, feeling my feet slip completely. I landed on my back on something cold and hard.

Then I heard a snap. Then another. Then more and more until I realized what was happening. I had landed on ice. And now it was breaking. I held my breath just in time before I was plunged into the frigid water.

**AN: GOD DAMN! This chapter scared the hell out of me! More of what I like to call 'Terrors of the second hall' in the next chapter. And yes, there will be one fr everyone except vincent. Cuz he didn't follow them. WE'RE NEARING THE END!**


	17. Nightmares

(Quinn)

I couldn't help but thrash as I sank lower and lower into the water. It was so cold that I was staring to go numb everywhere and my lungs were starting to burn. I struggled to swim back up to where I had fallen in through.

Only to find it frozen over. I slammed my hands on the ice, trying to get someone's attention or break through myself but seeing as I was in the body of a five year old and rapidly freezing, I had limited strength. As I saw the kids' shadows through the ice I prayed that they would here me.

But they just turned away and walked back to school. My eyes widened and I let out a scream.

Along with my air supply.

In a few moment's of struggling to retain even a little air, my vision started going black and I began to sink back down into the icy abyss of the lake. Once my back hit the bottom, I blacked out entirely.

-.-.-.-.-

(Cerberus)

This was idiotic.

And the absolute worst way to go about dealing with this floor. I knew full well what was behind these doors. They look into your heart. Riffle through your memories and create the most horrifying experience. I remember when I was younger, I had wandered into one of these doors.

For years afterwards I wouldn't speak and I wouldn't sleep for days on end. It was completely terrifying.

When it started, my eyes were closed. The minute I opened them my body surged with incomparable agony. I tried to move but found that it was useless. There was a large bulky metal collar around my neck, holding me to the wall.

CRACK!

A whip lashed against my back, filling my nerves with new surging pain. I screamed. A sound I hardly recognized. It was a loud, frightened, animalistic roar that escaped my lips. I shut my eyes tight as I stood up with renewed strength, tearing the chain from the wall. I heard him laugh.

"Yes. This is what they were waiting fo-"

I didn't allow him to finish his words.

I grabbed him around the neck... and tore out his throat. Then I stabbed him through the stomach with my hand... and ripped out a handful of entrails. But all of a sudden a tiny voice spoke up and snapped me momentarily out of my murderous rage.

"Cebby...?"

It was the voice of a little girl. I spun around and there she stood, Brown curly hair bouncing even without movement. Large blue-green eyes, still in the process of changing color. She was only 3. Standing there holding her stuffed rabbit, wearing her fancy blue 'princess dress'. And watching her demon brother tearing a man to shreds.

"A-Alice..."

NO! That's enough! I will not relive it again! I do every time I think of the second floor. I think of being tortured. The first time I killed. And of my baby sister Alice. The same Alice that is now a young woman dressed as a knight and not a princess. And wielding the blade that was destined to kill me. If only she knew... if only she remembered. Would she still think of me as 'the queen's monster' as that mock turtle had referred to me as?

Would she love me like she used to? No. I learned a long time ago that 'love' was nothing more than a useless compromising emotion. Something that was no use to the Jabberwock. Only 'fear' was of any use to me. Other's fear of me. And rightfully so.

I _am_ a monster.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

(Max)

The Jabberwock was just _standing_ there.

He hadn't moved an inch in the last 5 minutes.

So instead of bothering him, I went to a door and peeked through the key hole curiously.

What I saw made a chill run down my spine. My parents. Fighting with each other. Yelling, calling each other foul names and throwing things. I looked back to tell Gryph what I was seeing only to not find him there. In fact, I found no one there. It wasn't the same hall and It was night time.

I looked back through the key hole just in time to see my father slit my mother's throat with a letter opener. I held back a sob and a gag at the same time. There was blood everywhere. My father set up a chair right under the ceiling fan and stood on it. He laughed hysterically as he mad a noose out of his belt and tied it to the fan. He then went over to his desk and pulled out his personal flask of alcohol and drenched the room in it.

All while laughing. Giggling like a child. I felt sick to my stomach but couldn't pull myself away from the sight. He picked up the candle from his desk and stood on the chair. He slipped the noose around his neck and turned and grinned directly at me. Like he was looking right through the door.

"Maximus..." He grinned wider.

"5" He tightened the noose around his neck.

"4" He turned away.

"3" He raised his foot to step off the chair.

"2" He stepped off, and, instead of breaking his neck instantly, he started to suffocate.

"1..." Still grinning as he said his last word, he let the candle drop.

The room immediately burst into flames and struck up at the door. I pulled away and coughed hard as blackened smoke slipped under the doorway, carrying with it, the stench of blood and death. I felt dizzy as I dashed down the hall to the front door. Fire was eating up the hall as I ran. Consuming everything like a hungry beast.

I ran to the door and fought to open it but it wouldn't budge. I cried loudly, hysterically and kept trying to open it as I felt fire lick up to my face. I sobbed and slumped against the door still clawing at the wood pitifully.

and then...

"_**Max**_!" Gryph grabbed my shoulders and pulled me away from the door. I cried out and looked around frantically. We were back in the second floor hallway of the castle of hearts. I looked up at him, frightened out of my mind.

"Nobody go near the doors!" I cried and everyone looked around at me.

The man with rabbit ears, Theo, I think, spoke. "We have to find the right door."

The Jabberwock spoke next. "None of them are right."

Theo scowled. "What are you talking about?"

"None of these are the correct door. The right door lies beyond one of these doors but it isn't vacant, I'm afraid, so you'll just have to wait for Alice."

My eyes widened. "Alice is behind one of these doors!"

Cerberus nodded. "That one." He pointed to the door at the end of the hall.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

(Alice)

I snapped out of the illusion I was caught in when Sven asked me a riddle.

"Step on the living, the don't even mumble. Step on the dead, they mutter and grumble. What are they?" He asked nonchalantly as he poured me a cup of tea.

"Wh-what?" My eyes widened as I suddenly remembered something. I couldn't have been too long ago, but... the memory was very faded. Something about doors and riddles. Then a face appeared in my mind. Quinn...

I stood up abruptly and ran.

"ALICE!" I heard the shrieks of my deceased friends follow me until I his something. Hard. I looked up at it. It was a huge green door with a white club painted on it. In the club was the same riddle that Sven had asked minutes ago.

I thought hard for a few moments when the answer finally came to me.

"leaves!" I shouted.

It swung open and I was back in the hall, back in my armor and back with my friends.

All except one.

"where's Quinn?"

No one answered me. Amory and Theo grabbed my arms and pulled me through the door.

"Wh-where is he? Take me back! Where's Quinn! Answer me!"

"He's behind one of the doors." Cerberus spoke up. "There's nothing we can do. He has to wake up on his own."

"But-!" I began to protest but the words died in my throat. I lowered my gaze to the floor and walked up the stairs without my Cheshire cat.

**AN: Something tells me I need to take the writing equivalent of a chill pill TT Seriously. That last chapter. Not this one but 16. I was up until 3:34 writing that.**


	18. Good bye

(Alice)

We reached the third floor in which there was another door as usual. It looked the same as the previous two. Tall double doors. This one was blue with a red spade on it. But this time there was something different. There was no riddle in the middle of this one. Instead there were three pillars, each with a riddle on it and a sign in the middle of the hall that read;

"The answers are fairly simple to those who don't think idly,

But the proper order of things is not to be trifled with.

Take my advice and choose wisely,

For one wrong choice will be your last.

A fact, an item, and a piece of a game.

But pick quickly, your death would be a shame."

I went across to the first pillar to read the script carved into the marble.

"What man loves more than life,

Fears more than death,

Or mortal strife,

The thing that poor men have,

and the rich acquire,

What all contented men desire,

What misers spend and wasters save

and what all men take to their grave."

I had no idea. I recalled the time earlier when I had mentioned that I was _horrible_ at riddles. That still applies. I thought it out. What man loves more than life? I couldn't think of anything other than money and love. But fears more than death? Why would man fear either of those more than death? What poor men have, the rich acquire... Well that rules out money. What all contented men desire. And then it hit me.

"Nothing!" I called up at the pillar. It shrank down into the floor.

One down, two to go.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

(Max)

I watched as the first pillar shrank into the ground and smiled. We must be on the right track, then. The first sign, I think, gave us the correct order of things. 'A fact, an item, and a piece of a game.' Personally, I was rather good at riddles, if I do say so myself. They were a hobby of mine ever since I was little but there were those who were a lot better than me. Like Sven. It had been said that if you didn't answer him if he asked you a riddle, he would poison your tea.

I thought that was nonsense.

"hmm..." I went up to the pillar across from Alice's and read the inscription;

"The man who devised it,

does not want it.

The man who bought it,

does not use it.

The man who uses it,

does not realize it."

I hummed to myself quietly as I worked it out in my brain. The man who devised it does not want it. Well, no help there. But the other two lines...

I didn't have much time to think. There was a rumbling and the floor started to shake. Spikes popped out of the walls, almost skewering us. Another sign appeared, this time on the ground at my feet. I read it aloud;

"Well done,

Good show,

But lets heighten the stakes,

Quicken the pace."

My face fell. "Basically a signal to hurry up."

I turned back to the riddle. The man who uses it does not realize it... The man who bought it does not use it... You can't realize your using something if your asleep... or... or... Dead! And you can't buy anything if your dead, but when you die others buy you a...

"COFFIN!"

I sighed in relief as the second pillar sank down into the ground.

"One to go."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

(Gryph)

The whole time, I had been studying the third pillar. I hadn't even flinched when the spikes jutted from the walls. It wants us to hurry, then fine. "A piece of a game." I muttered quietly, having that odd habit of talking to myself. "Something tells me..." I trailed off, not even bothering to continue that sentence in my own thoughts. Finally, I read it over once more, out loud for them to hear.

"I stand beside the holy man,

The monarchs fear my wrath,

None may move the way I can,

Ever the crooked path."

I smiled.

Chess.

And not a very hard one to figure out, either. I stand beside the holy man. The holy man refers to the bishop, which, on a chess board stands beside both the knight and the queen and behind a pawn and on the other side beside the king. It couldn't be the queen or king because it says that 'none may move the way I can.' and the queen and king can move anywhere as long as it's horizontal, in a straight, forwards or backwards line, or diagonal. Most of the pieces can do those. It isn't the pawn because it is in front of the bishop, not beside it. So it must be the knight.

"Knight."

The pillar shrank down and the doors swung open for us.

We all walked through those doors together and up the stairs to the final set of double doors. They were pitch black with a large red heart, painted in blood.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

(Alice)

When we reached the door, it was time to say our good byes. I gave everyone a hug, including Cerberus who, surprisingly didn't struggle as much as I thought he would. Actually he ruffled my hair and looked down at me. "Alice... There's been something I've been meaning to tell you. You already know that you are the child of the queen of hearts... but so am I. Your my sister, Alice... And I... I... I hope you make it out of this alive." He looked away.

I smiled gently and hugged him. "I love you too, Cebby..."

His eyes widened. "You remember..."

I nodded. "I recognized you the first time I saw you. You really didn't think I'd forget you, right?"

He smiled slightly. "Go kill that crazy bitch, Aly."

I laughed and nodded. "I intend to."

I turned to the door. It had an indent in the shape of a heart. I raised the vorpal sword and stuck the end of the hilt into the indent. I turned it like a key in a lock and the doors swung open, revealing a hall of mirrors. I looked back at my friends and waved sadly as the doors closed behind me.

From now on, I was on my own.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**AN: I've been writing NON STOP since I got in that car accident yesterday. I'M SO CLOSE TO THE END OF THE STORY, I CAN TASTE IT!**


	19. The Death of the Queen of Hearts

(Alice)

As I walked through the hall of mirrors, I didn't bother to look at my reflection. I caught it in my peripheral and knew it to be different each time. In one mirror, I looked as I had when I was four. In another I looked around 20. In a third I was an old crone. And in a fourth, I looked exactly as I do now.

I smirked and took off the gauntlet on my right hand. I looked at my true reflection and grinned. Something red was glowing behind it. I tested the metal glove's weight in my hand and then threw it right at the mirror. Hard. It shattered inwards, displaying more of Wonderland's questionable physics. Behind it there was a small red door, almost too small for me to fit through. I managed to squeeze through by crawling. Once I made it through, I looked behind me. The door was now regular sized. It snapped shut and locked.

_Clap. Clap. Clap._

I heard applause from above me. I looked up. The queen of hearts was beautiful, that much was true. She had long black hair in a pony tail. It was pin straight like Cerberus', all except for two ringlets that fell on either side of her face. Her eyes were green like mine and she had the same set of freckles across her nose, just like Sven said. She stood up from her throne, golden crown glinting in the light. She wore a long black dress with a large ruby heard around her neck and a crimson cape sweeping the floor as she walked.

"Very well done, Love. You've solved all of my puzzles." She smirked as she drew nearer to me.

"You got a bit lazy with the last one, I see. It was no challenge at all, finding the right mirror to break!" I lashed out a her with my sword and she took a step back, avoiding it easily.

She laughed. "Your an insolent little brat, aren't you? Oh well. Straight to business, then!"

Her dress seemed to transform right before my eyes, becoming a black spiky suit of armor. She snapped her fingers and a large silver axe with rubies set into the hilt appeared in her hand. She grinned and swung it down at me.

I barely managed to roll out of the way, though i managed to get a slice down my cheek. A trickle of blood ran down my face but I had no time to wipe it away before she lashed out at me again. If I hadn't been wearing armor, I would have lost my arm. Because just as she swung down, I leaned to the side. The blow connected with my shoulder blade and surely fractured something but, I was still alive. And as long as I was alive, I could still fight.

I rolled out of the way of a third strike and got to my feet as quickly as I could. I brought the vorpal sword up, glad at how light it was. I slashed at her and she blocked it with the blade of her axe. I blinked in shock when a chip of the axe broke off. The queen of hearts did not look happy. She gave an angry roar and swung at my neck. I fell back to avoid the blow and swung forwards again, slicing her across the eye. Blood spurted and she screamed.

In rage, not pain.

She tackled me to the ground, hands wrapped tightly around my throat. Her eyes flashed yellow and I felt claws digging into my neck. I finally understood where the monster gene in Cerberus had come from. I tried to push her away but already, I found myself unable to exert much strength. My air flow had been cut off for too long. I felt my eyes roll back into my head as I tried to find any little bit of oxygen. I convulsed on the ground clawing around, trying to escape. It was when my heart beat started to slow and my body began to go limp that my clawing right hand found the hilt of the vorpal sword.

In the next instant, the sword seemed to guide my hand on it's own as a voice whispered in my head.

"_Don't worry, Alice... Just hold on..._"

The sword raised into the air and in one quick motion, severed the queen's head from her neck. The vice grip around my airway vanished and blood splattered across my face.

"_Off with __**your**__ head._"

That was the last thing I heard before blacking out entirely and dropping the vorpal sword to the ground with a clatter.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

(Vincent)

I had been holding up the smoke shield for a long time. I lost track of how long it truly was and cards were fighting to get through. I shut my eyes tight and focused on strengthening the shield. It took a lot of my power to keep it up like this.

All of a sudden, the cards' futile attempts to get through ceased. I opened my eyes and didn't see them anywhere. Then I looked down at the ground and hundreds of lifeless playing cards were scattered on the floor. I smiled wearily and let the shield down.

"She did it!" I heard a voice from behind me. The white rabbit was smiling at me. "I told you she would be able to, and she did!"

"Yeah... She really did..." I agreed, smiling, and closed my eyes. "Thank you, Alice..."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

(Quinn)

My eyes opened wide. Refreshing and much needed air filled my lungs. I grinned huge as I realized I was no longer trapped in that hellish illusion. All the doors except the one leading up to the third floor had vanished.

Wonderland was free. My Alice had defeated the Queen of Hearts.

My Alice has saved us all.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**AN: There is only one chapter left...OFAHFDHGSAUIGLAW,**

**ERM...excuse me... I went... psychotic.**


	20. End Game

(Alice)

I awoke the next morning to blinding sunlight streaming through the curtains over a large bay window. I felt groggy and my eyesight was fuzzy. I curled up and realized, I was no longer on the ground in the Ex-Queen's throne room. I was in a large four poster bed, wrapped in a large, fluffy white blanket. I sat up weakly and noticed a sharp pain in my neck. I touched my skin lightly and felt large bruises where the Queen's hands had been wrapped around. I yawned a little and stretched.

I looked around the room. Apart from the bed, there was a round table with a chess pattern on it and four stools around it. There was an large blue arm chair in the corner by a pretty looking fireplace. There were two book cases, all full. And a small bedside table with a silver crown and a white rose in a pretty blue vase. I smiled a little.

Just then, the door swung open. A small, thin girl, perhaps a year younger than me, stood there, holding a tray of food in both hands. She had long silver-white hair that almost swept the floor. Her skin was very pale, almost the color of paper. Her eyes were big and a pretty shade of blue and there was a heart-shaped blue jewel set into her forehead. She wore a pretty white dress that fell to her knees in the front and had a long train in the back. The hem and the straps of her dress ended in ruffles. She didn't wear shoes.

The girl smiled big and pulled up a stool from the table and set it beside my bed. She sat next to me and placed the tray on my lap. "Ah!~ It's good that your awake, Alice. All your friends are very worried about you."

I look down at the plate. Eggs, toast, and bacon. I honestly didn't know they had normal food down here. But then again, seeing as they have tea, cake, and guns, why not normal food too? I looked back up at the girl. "Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm Vorpal." She smiled brightly.

I blinked. "Like... Like the sword...?"

She nodded happily. "I am the sword, Alice~. Don't you recognize my voice? Think back to the battle with the Queen."

I do as she tells me and she's right. Right before I killed the Queen, a voice had told me to hold on. And then after the Queen was dead the same voice said 'off with your head'.

I blinked. "Thank you... You've saved me so many times..."

She shook her head. "Don't even worry about it. It was up to me to save you or not. I chose you."

"Chose me?" I asked.

She smiled. "Yes. Remember when your brother said that not even the Queen could wield the vorpal sword? Well, that was up to me. I didn't want anyone who couldn't handle my power to use it." I smiled and she patted my head. "Eat your breakfast and put on the dress in the closet. Your coronation will take place whenever your ready."

She stood up and left. I smiled. "coronation... I guess I really am going to be Queen..."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-.-.-.-

I stood at the top of a tall staircase, looking down. There were so many people! All gathered around the staircase in the grand hall. I looked down and saw Vorpal, Cerberus, Vincent, Theo, Amory, the twins, Max, Gryph and Quinn standing in the front of the crowd. My heart leapt when I saw Quinn. He was ok! I was so happy! I shifted a little. The dress I wore wasn't particularly uncomfortable, just very...dressy.

I never used to wear dresses unless they were nightgowns, but now I felt like a doll. The main gown was light blue and sleeveless. The skirt was split down the middle and ended in gold trim. The under-dress was white and ended in ruffles. There was a gold-colored corset separating the top and bottom of both gowns. I wore black and white striped stockings and light blue boots. My hair was tied up and I had tied a white ribbon around my neck to hide the bruises from being strangled.

As I walked down the stairs, Vorpal stepped forward and placed a white flower in my hair and smiled. Theo stepped forward next, smiling.

"I, Theodore White, here by crown you Queen Alice Monrey."

He set a pretty silver crown on my head and bowed before me. And one by one, everyone in the grand hall did the same. Then a resounding chorus broke out amongst the people.

"ALL HAIL THE QUEEN!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

After the coronation, there was a party of sorts. Everyone was dancing and people were playing music. Max and Gryph were singing a song that they called the Lobster Quadrille. Everyone was really enjoying it and I hadn't been wrong, they both had lovely singing voices.

I smiled up at them but as soon as I caught sight of Quinn, I took off running towards him. I wrapped my arms around him and smiled big. "Your ok!" I cried joyously.

He grinned up at me. "Yes! Like I said, I'll never leave you." He kissed me quickly and fixed my crooked crown. "It seems that the crown is a bit too big for you, My Love."

I blushed and smiled. "Y-yeah..." I let go.

He took my hand. "Dance with me, Alice?" He asked. I nodded and smiled. He led me out into the middle of the dancing people as Max and Gryph started up another song.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Five years later, I was married to Quinn and I finally understood _why_ a wedding was so looked forward to.

Even as a little girl, I never imagined myself getting married and certainly not in wonderland to a man with cat ears and a tail.

-.-.-.-

Two years after that, I had a baby.

He's a boy with light brown hair and bright blue eyes like his father's. He also has cat ears and a tail like his father's.

We named him Cantharis.

And this was my happy ending.

Though, not all happy endings are truly endings. And not all of them stay happy.

**-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

**AN: It...It's over...It's done...Modern Alice is complete...Ha ha...Hahaha......!**

Holy SHIT!

.Shit!

Stay tuned for the sequal, 'Child of Wonderland'.

...


	21. sequal

HERE'S THE SEQUAL!

just delete the spaces.

http: / / www . fanfiction . net / s / 6069173 / 1 / Child of Wonderland


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